


Defying Infinity

by a_cascade



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Fighting, Fluff and Angst, Homoerotic Dueling, I'm Sorry x2, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Season of Dawn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22125976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_cascade/pseuds/a_cascade
Summary: Saint-14 is determined to bring Osiris back to reality, but the warlock won't come so easily.
Relationships: Osiris/Saint-14 (Destiny)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 118





	Defying Infinity

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! I'm back with another O14 fic because this ship has taken me by storm.
> 
> My goal this year is to post more regularly and just write more in general, so expect to see more from me in the near future.

Osiris had been gone for almost two weeks, twelve days by Saint-14's count, and every moment that had passed since had been unbearable. The warlock had slipped away to the Infinite Forest one day without a word, leaving behind a hastily scribbled note that simply read, _Direct all complaints to Sagira._ He scowled at the note lying on the Sundial’s control panel. The man was definitely mocking him. It wasn't unprecedented for the warlock to disappear for extended periods of time when he became deeply engrossed in his work. It was in a warlock’s nature to be bridled by curiosity and seek out the unknown, but Osiris would never be satisfied and took it to an extreme.

He knew Osiris to be a fearsome warrior, one of the most powerful guardians to ever live, and yet knowing this still did not ease his worries. The memories of the Forest still haunted him, imprinted in his mind like a brand, and if he closed his eyes he could vividly picture the vast data stream oceans, feel the tingle of arc in the air, even taste radiolaria in the back of his throat.

Saint exited the Sundial, his eyes set on the massive Vex gate that towered over the sands of Mercury. His ghost materialized and followed after him, watching him with a single critical eye. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Geppetto asked, but she already knew the answer.

“To find Osiris.” The titan replied. “To bring him back to reality.”

“So you’re going to go back into the Infinite Forest? The place we were trapped in for years?” Geppetto’s shell twisted in agitation as she tried to reel her Guardian in and keep him from making a horrible mistake. Saint-14 should not have been alive at that moment. He was meant to die long ago within the spiraling realities of the Infinite Forest, alone and lightless. It was nothing short of a miracle that the titan was still breathing and the Martyr Mind laid in shambles.

“You can’t change my mind. I will find him.”

The steps leading up to the gate were steep and littered with the broken metal bodies of Vex, likely left behind from the last time Osiris or The Guardian had passed through. A hum emitted from the gate that grew louder as he drew closer.

_“Turn Back!”_

There was a flash of bright golden light, causing Saint to wince and bring up an arm to shield his face. Before him floated one of Osiris’ Echoes, his form shimmering as he continuously faded in and out of reality.

 _“Saint,_ ” the Echo spoke yet his lips did not move, and no sound reached Saint’s ears. The Reflection’s shoulders tensed as Saint took a step towards him. “ _You must not enter the Infinite Forest._ ”

“Oh, yeah? And who will stop me? You? Osiris?” Saint stepped up until he was in the Echo’s face staring him down. “Osiris won’t speak to me in person, yet he sends his Reflection to scold me? Stand aside.”

 _“No!”_ The Echo shouted. A burst of energy pushed out from the Reflection, sending Saint flying back several yards and tumbling down the stairs. Geppetto cried out from somewhere among the dust. The wind howled as it violently whipped up sand, creating a massive dust cloud that almost completely obstructed his view of the Vex gate.

“That won’t work on me, friend.” The titan rose to his feet with a grunt, armor coated in dirt. He slowly strode back up to the gate, bracing against the winds. 

_“Turn back!”_ The winds grew stronger and Saint found himself stumbling, his feet struggling to keep him on the ground. The titan began to glow as an aura of void light surrounded him. He pushed forward, one step at a time. Climbing back up the stairs was like hiking to the summit of a mountain in the dead of winter. A goblin’s severed arm struck him in the chest and shattered into pieces. The Echo growled as he struggled to keep the winds blowing.

As Saint came to stand before the Reflection once more the winds died down, then stopped altogether. Osiris’ Echo looked defeated, _scared_. Saint nonchalantly brushed the sand off his armor as he stared the Echo down.

“There’s sand all in my armor now,” the titan said smugly. “I hope you’re happy.” 

The Echo huffed in indignation and looked as if he were about to say something snarky in return, then crossed his arms. The Echo shook his head as Saint moved to pass him.

 _“Perhaps I can’t stop you but—”_ the Echo paused, unsure of how to continue. He turned and met Saint's gaze. His eyes were pleading. “ _I can’t lose you again_.” At that moment the Echo sounded more like Osiris than the fragment of his mind it was meant to be.

“I don’t know how much of Osiris is in you,” Saint said in a low voice. He laid his hand on the Echo’s cheek as if to console him. Remarkably, the Echo seemed comforted by the gesture, leaning into the touch. He looked up at Saint with pleading eyes. “But I won’t settle for anything less than the real thing.”

  
***

Osiris had glimpsed the end of time.

The future the Vex had presented was cold and bleak, the entirety of the solar system converted to machine. The sun’s light had faded away to nothingness, the lighthouse laid in ruins, and the Traveler was gone. Somehow this was preferable to the future the Red Legion sought to create. That was no future at all.

The warlock traversed timelines as easily as breathing, realities shifting beneath his feet. He imposed his will upon the Forest and it responded in earnest. Time quickly became a mere suggestion to him, the concept of when became where and vice-versa; the past, present, and future merged and blended together into _now_ , as if everything was happening at once. For Osiris, it may well have been.

In every direction there was Vex corruption: waterfalls of radiolaria spilling off the cliffside into the infinite, Vex Minds wandering aimlessly with no true purpose, and floating islands drifting in the wind like clouds only to collapse and dissipate into nothingness. The warlock lifted up his scout rifle and effortlessly shot down a goblin in the distance. The Vex’s numbers within the Forest hadn’t dwindled, exactly, but they knew good and well to stay clear of him.

Sagira floated ahead to survey the area, sending out a beam of light that spread out across the terrain. Osiris followed behind, watching closely. It seemed that their work was paying off. The Vex of this timeline had become disorganized, scattered across simulations with no leadership to guide them. As for the Cabal, well, that was a different story.

Osiris had dismantled several Red Legion brigades within the past few days alone, and while it had slowed their operations for the meantime he could sense that they were regrouping and would soon return in full force. He had to be ready. While the Guardians fought to eliminate the Cabal scattered in time throughout the Sundial, Osiris was working to expel them from the Forest.

The warlock stopped in his tracks and raised his hand to a spot on his cheek, then traced down the curve of his neck. His skin felt strangely warm. _What was that?_ Deep in his chest he felt a sense of dread. In his mind he reached out to consult his Reflections but found no answers.

“I sense a disturbance,” said Osiris.

“What’s happening?” Sagira turned and looked back at him. “Osiris?”

A dozen of his Reflections snapped into existence before him with a crackle of arc. They were all in visible panic and began speaking all at once. The valley filled with echoes of Osiris’ own voice.

"Silence!" Osiris shouted over the clamor. The Echoes all fell silent, even the Forest seemed to hush at Osiris' command. The Echoes were extensions of Osiris, fragments of his busy mind but completely autonomous. They felt as he felt, their thoughts equivalent to his own, and at that moment he could feel their panic twelve-fold, rocketing through his body. He already knew what had happened.

" _Saint-14 has entered the Infinite Forest_ ,” one Reflection said grimly. “ _He’s come to find you_.”

Osiris ran a hand over his face. _No..._ His heart was racing and then Sagira was at his side trying to console him. He couldn’t hear her words over the sound of his own heartbeat. _Not again... Please, not again._

He looked out into the distance. A streak of arc dashed across the machine sky and the air around him rumbled in response. What could he do? He had already lost Saint once and had never stopped blaming himself for it. He fell into a deep hole of despair and hopelessness he thought he'd never manage to crawl out of. He never wanted to feel that way again. He would sooner die than let Saint slip away. 

“Find him, follow him wherever he goes,” Osiris ordered. The Reflections snapped out of their daze, determination in their eyes. “Ignore everything else. This is more important. _Go!_ ”

The Reflections, with their new orders, snapped out of the timeline to go elsewhen. Soon the field was empty, save for Osiris and one remaining Reflection. _Strange_ , Osiris thought. It was rare for him to lose control of one of his Echoes. Osiris looked upon him curiously and immediately recognized which part of himself this was. This Echo had been around for a long time. There was deep pain seated in his golden eyes, his body overcome with exhaustion and hopelessness. This was the Osiris who had lost all that was dear to him and in blind desperation had constructed the Sundial.

“ _Saint-14 will not be satisfied until you see him_ ,” the Echo said. “ _You must go to him_.” And then in his eyes, something unspoken but undeniably clear. _Do not make the same mistake I did._

  
***

“Something tells me Osiris doesn’t want to be found.” Geppetto turned to him. "Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late to turn around and leave. Osiris will come around eventually."

"Eventually," Saint scoffed. "If I let Osiris decide when I get to see him, then I'll never see him." Even before the exiled warlock had set his sights on the Infinite Forest he had been as fickle as an anxious bird, always ready to take off.

From the moment they entered the Forest, Saint had felt as if there were a thousand eyes on him, and perhaps there were between the Vex and Osiris’ Reflections. Every so often he’d see a flash of gold in the periphery of his vision, just for an instant. Osiris was certainly aware of his presence in the Forest by now.

For a long time, Saint had held a sinking feeling in his gut that he never found Osiris all those years ago because the warlock himself had made sure of it. Even if it were true, Osiris would never admit to such a thing. The shame of it would be too great of a burden.

Saint found himself in Mercury's simulated past, before the Vex had converted the planet into a machine world and stolen its beauty. Saint had seen this version of Mercury countless times before, but even now his breath was taken away. A light wind blew through the valley, causing the tall grass to ripple like a sea of gold.

Suddenly Saint stopped and raised his hand to signal a warning. Geppetto slowed down and came to a stop beside him. Saint became still and listened. There was nothing at first, but then faintly he could hear rhythmic footsteps in the distance, growing louder.

“Something’s coming.” Saint crouched low to the ground and skittered up the rest of the hill. He hid in the alien brush and peeked between the leaves. He saw one head peek over the horizon, then another, then several, and soon he had in his sights a full battalion of Red Legion soldiers. Psion flayers whizzed around the group like flies. In the very back, a hulking Centurion trudged forward carrying a heavy slug rifle.

"The Cabal have invaded the Infinite Forest." Saint's eyes narrowed in disdain. "So, this is what has been keeping Osiris away."

Osiris had mentioned the invasion to him in passing a number of times, but for Saint to see it with his own eyes was completely different. The Red Legion had nearly destroyed everything he had worked so hard to protect. The Cabal’s insatiable thirst for war and conquest made them a threat no matter how much their numbers dwindled. He couldn’t just walk away from this.

Geppetto’s shell spun as she watched her Guardian, “You’re thinking about doing something reckless, aren’t you?”

The titan stood, his body buzzing with anticipation. He crashed his hands together and lightning erupted from them with a resounding clap that echoed throughout the valley. The Red Legion forces stopped in their tracks, alerted by the sound. Saint grinned beneath his helmet.

He took a few steps back and took a deep breath. He could feel arc in the air all around him, waiting to heed his call, and he welcomed it. The titan charged back up the cliff, his footsteps leaving behind a trail of arc. He jumped. Arc rushed into his body, electrifying him to the core, the glow from within bright enough to contend with the sun. 

Saint clenched his fist and dove. He was a bolt of lightning streaking across the sky. Black clouds trailed in his wake like storm clouds. He was the tempest. He was a nightmare. He landed with a crash of thunder and the ground shattered beneath him, bolts of lightning dashing across the earth and annihilating all Red Legion soldiers around him.

Saint stood as the dust cleared. The Cabal had broken formation and scattered like frightened rats. Most had been caught in the blast of his thunder crash.

“Behind you!” Geppetto shouted.

Saint turned just in time to block a gladiator from cleaving his head off. The blade of the cleaver slid off his gauntlets with a spark. Before the gladiator could raise the blade again he was struck down by a bullet to the head. Saint blinked in confusion.

“There, on the cliff,” Geppetto informed him.

Saint looked towards the cliffs and saw the glint of a scout rifle scope shining in the distance. The marksman was crouched low to the ground, quickly picking off enemies with masterful precision. The marksman lowered his gun. He did not look pleased.

“Osiris,” Saint whispered the man’s name. He was hypnotized. The sun was at Osiris’ back, shrouding him in an aura of yellow sunlight. The feathers of his shawl rustled gently in the breeze. Osiris slung his scout rifle on his back and stood. His body erupted in flames, wings of flame unfurling like sails in the wind.

  
***

Osiris landed before him with a thud, driving his sword into the ground. His eyes burned with rage. Very few things scared Saint, and an angry Osiris was one of them. The warlock strode up to him, pulling down his scarf to reveal the lower half of his face.

“You fool,” Osiris began. The man was flustered, his cheeks flushed with anger. “You damned fool. You could’ve been _killed_. Have you forgotten so quickly what it took to bring you back from this place?”

“Have you forgotten our bond?” Saint removed his helmet as he took a step toward the warlock and Osiris took a step back. The titan gave him a look of disbelief. “Osiris—”

“Stay back.”

“You’re running from me again. We’ve barely spoken a word to each other since I’ve returned.”

“I’ve had more pressing matters to attend to.” Osiris regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, not because they were hurtful but because they weren’t true. Not entirely. “The threat of the Red Legion still looms over us. The future of humanity is in grave danger.” And it was his fault. Because once again he had chosen to be selfish. “What we did today... This barely put a dent in their numbers.

“Then let me fight by your side.” Saint pleaded. “Your battles are mine, too. I won’t let you lose yourself trying to fight an endless war on your own.”

“I’ve managed just fine on my own so far.”

“What about Panoptes?” Sagira chimed in. “Or Dendron, or—”

“Sagira, please,” Osiris said. His ghost fell silent, though he knew if she had a mouth to smile with she’d be doing so smugly. He turned back to Saint. “I know you didn’t come all this way just to _chat_.”

“No, of course not.” Saint knew where this was headed. Two Guardians with such strong Light and even stronger passions inevitably ran out of words to convey their feelings and started using their fists.

“I won’t lose you again.” Osiris’ body flared with solar light once more and then there was the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn. Osiris spun around with a flourish and wings of flame sprouted from his back. He rose several feet into the air. “Leave this place, Saint. Or I’ll make you.”

Saint grinned, “Bring it, old man.”

Osiris sliced his sword through the air, creating a ribbon of fire that stretched several meters. The titan summoned his void shield just in time to block the barrage, air scorching around him as flames exploded on his shield. The titan rolled backward before launching himself into the air, narrowly dodging another rain of fire. The ground was scorched black where he had been standing.

“Your Light is strong, Osiris.” Saint said. “I would expect no less from Vanguard Commander.”

“ _Former_ Vanguard Commander.” Osiris corrected. He roared and dove to the ground, a wave of fire bursting out from underneath him. “There’s an important distinction.”

Saint rushed him with his shield, putting Osiris on the defensive. Every strike of his dawnblade bounced off Saint’s shield. The titan brought his shield back before slamming it back down. The warlock blocked it with his sword, but his body trembled with exertion as he strained from the force of the blow. With a shout he shoved Saint back. The flames died out and his sword faded away. Saint was wearing him down fast. Osiris snarled in frustration and resorted to throwing punches.

“So fierce. You fight like a caged animal.” Saint said in admiration. Osiris jumped into the air and spun around, landing a kick to Saint’s chest that sent him flying back several feet. The titan tumbled to the ground, but quickly recovered. Saint rolled onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up to his feet.

“Do you plan to flatter your way to victory?” Osiris sneered. He was an emotional fighter and he didn’t want to admit that Saint’s tactic was working on him, whether it was intentional or not.

“When you fight with such prowess, how can I resist?” Saint’s shouted as he blocked one of Osiris’ punches with his arm, sending out a shockwave that shook the earth beneath them. “You’ve been avoiding me. Why? Is it shame? Guilt?” In between blows he reached out for Osiris, but the warlock was always just out of his grasp. Osiris fought like a dancer, flowing into each stance seamlessly as if he had rehearsed it ahead of time. He predicted Saint’s every move and smoothly weaved between the titan’s flailing arms.

“It’s cowardice—”

“ _Sagira!_ ” Osiris shot his ghost a harsh look, but Sagira was unfazed. While Osiris was distracted, Saint took the opportunity to rush the warlock. Osiris couldn’t react quickly enough. Saint ducked down low to catch him by the waist and tackled him to the ground.

Osiris grunted as his back hit the ground and all the air was knocked from his lungs. He took a shaky breath and groaned under the weight of a fully armored titan resting on him. He met Saint’s eyes and found a warmth in them he so desperately craved but didn’t feel he deserved. Osiris flushed, embarrassed to have so much attention on him.

“W-what’s with that look?” Osiris said. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from him. “That was... cheap.”

“Are you pouting?” Saint let out a soft chuckled. “You only say this because you lost. You would have done the same.”

“You’re heavy.” The warlock coughed. His robes were torn in several places and charred around his arms, scorched by Red Legion flamethrowers. In turn, Saint’s armor was covered in a thin layer of soot.

Saint slid off of him so that he was only half on top of him, one leg between the warlock’s and an arm wrapped around his middle as if Osiris would disappear if he didn’t hold onto him. Osiris laid a hand over the titan’s arm and sighed. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, fully content with just laying there and letting Saint hold him for a while. He found the Exo's hand and Saint instinctively made space between his fingers for Osiris to thread his own through. He opened his eyes and found Saint's violet ones staring back at him. This was real.

“Sagira’s right,” Osiris said finally, averting his gaze. “I’ve been avoiding you because I couldn’t bear the shame of what I had done to you.” His voice broke, then grew as quiet as a whisper. “I abandoned you. I shut you out and you . . . You—” A shudder passed through his body. An image flashed through his mind. He saw Saint’s body lying cold and lightless within his shrine, his stiff fingers wrapped tightly around the cracked shell of his dead ghost. As much as he wanted to just forget he could never wipe that image from his mind. Saint gently stroked his cheeks with his fingers and only then did he realize he was crying.

“Oh, Dove.” Saint murmured as he caressed Osiris’ cheek, his voice filled with sorrow. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against Osiris’ with a sigh. “I am here now and this is real. I’m alive because of you.”

“You would have died because of me.” Osiris squeezed the Exo’s hand. His heart pounded in his ears. “Can you really still feel the same way about me as you did centuries ago?”

Saint pulled back at that and propped his head up on his hand. He sat there for a long moment looking down at the warlock without saying a word, contemplating him. He reached up and gently brushed a rebellious feather out of Osiris’ face, then stroked his cheek with the back of his hand.

"I want to wake up in the morning and look into your shining eyes, still drowsy with sleep." He trailed his hand down Osiris’ neck, down his chest, until it settled on his waist again, then he pulled him closer. "I want to watch the stars and feel the warmth of your body against mine as I hold you just like this.” He slipped his hand under the warlock’s robes and stroked his side, feeling the muscles ripple under his touch. Then his hand trailed down to Osiris’ thigh. “Do you understand?" His fingers dug into the skin-tight fabric covering Osiris’ thigh. The warlock bit his lip.

"Yes..." Osiris said as he reached up and slid his hand around to the nape of the titan's neck. By the Traveler, he wanted that more than anything. Finally he did what he had been restraining himself from doing ever since Saint returned. He pulled the titan down and pressed his lips against Saint’s cool metal ones. Saint clutched Osiris’ robes so tightly the warlock was concerned he’d tear them right off. Osiris’ body burned and it had nothing to do with solar light. When Saint finally pulled away his electronic eyes had dimmed considerably.

“Let’s get out of here.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop by and say hi to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cleverly_not) or [Tumblr](https://jes-jones.tumblr.com/). Feedback is very much appreciated.


End file.
